Blackbirds
by MeinBritishBroski
Summary: Prussia is dropped into the afterlife as food for the life-starved plants and animals. What will happen? One shot. Rated M just in case.


**suggested listening;** Blackbirds - Linkin Park / A Moment Of Silence - Streetlight Manifesto / Brothers On A Hotel Bed - Death Cab For Cutie

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><p>Daylight faded, the sun blinked once to the Earth, before hiding behind her; birthing a moonless night with no stars - just brewing storm clouds, swirling in a vortex above ruins of once-great castles. The black center of the sky faded to navy blue to the light purple gracing the horizon.<p>

A mile or two away from the cluster of castles, a man was sleeping - or was he dead? - in the fetal position in the middle of a long, winding dirt road. Clusters of black, leafless trees hugged the side of the road, branches like hands - reaching out to take the sleeping body that held inside it a beating heart. Life.

One thing was certain - this place was where things went to disappear from everything. This place was not Heaven... it was not Hell. It was a terrifying planet for things to exist but not _feel_. Nothing had a name to hold on to.

The man currently lying in the middle of the road stirred, and a shrill sound started, like an alarm clock. In his leather-clad hand rested a large trinket that resembles a bird cage - it had eye-catching patterns engraved on precious, durable metal. And inside... was a small yellow bird, feathers ruffled up in fear and confusion. He chirped and whistled urgently, banging up against the sides of the cage.

Red eyes opened slowly to be confronted by the strange new world, and his small canary in his cage. "_Mein Gott_, Gilbird, what is this place?" The bird silenced itself as soon as it's master awoke, but it was obviously still unsettled by the leering trees and the constant fidgeting noises the shadows seemed to be making.

The canary made a great effort to get out of the cage. Frowning, Gilbert undid the latch to the cage and watched as the canary fluttered out, landing on his finger for a mere second before taking flight, getting high up in the air and flapping like mad to get away. Gilbert opened his mouth to call his canary back, but the command died on his tongue at the sight before him.

A black blur dove down and Gilbert caught his breath. Watching in pure horror as his life-long partner was struck down by some other horrid bird, crushed in thick, strong talons.

"No!"

Loud cawing rang out as other large birds practically melted out of the trees. They resembled large grackles - with thick, round beaks that ended in points. Feet the size of a grown-man's hand, strong talons connected to them. And those soul-less eyes watching him hungrily.  
>Gilbert spun around in a daze, surveying the area.<p>

He was surrounded by Hell's messengers.

"Give him back!"

A resounding screech brought two more birds flapping lazily away from their branch, both holding on to a - amazingly, still alive - canary, which thrashed and cried out pitifully. And then, with a disgustingly wet ripping noise, the birds flew away from each other, one holding the severed head, another holding the hollow body, crushing some of the brittle bones inside.

The one carrying the body did a nose dive, pulling up and landing gracelessly on the dirt road ten feet in front of the albino man. It hopped forward on one foot, dropped the body and did a little walk around it, dipped it's head to the Prussian man and then flew back into the wood to join its brethren.

"Filthy birds..." Those words made the birds deathly silent, save for the ruffling of wings, and the silent bickering over which one would get to keep the head of the canary.

Gilbert knew it was sick, but he stuffed the body in the birdcage, tears leaking out of his red eyes. He wanted to go home. But he struggled to remember why it was so important to go back. His brother... no. Roderich... no. His land... that was now his brother's land.

The castles up ahead looked familiar ... as did the black and white flag waving in the air - which Gilbert didn't get, there was no wind here. The birds followed every single movement he made, scrutinizing him, seeing if he was weak. They were wary of him, even though they outnumbered him one million to one, at least.

They watched him walk down the road, some of them followed him, flying clumsily low to the ground on either side of the road. A few of them hopped after him on foot.

That was when Gilbert started running. That was also when the birds really lost it, they screeched and beat at the air with their wings, doing their best to hover in the air like one big, ominous storm cloud. The ones skimming the dirt road rose up to join them.

And like one big bird swooping down on a mouse, they were upon Gilbert.

The air around the birds stank of rancid meat, bird feces, and an odd musky smell he couldn't care to place. Exposed skin was bitten and torn at - sometimes off, exposing muscle and blood beneath. Gilbert's screams were drowned out by the flapping of wings and greedy fighting. There was a sickening crack that frightened the birds and made them return to the trees.

A lone bird tried to follow them, but it flopped down on it's side crying out for it's brothers and sisters.

_Help me! Help me! Help! I don't want to die in the dirt! Help!_

The other birds stared dumbly in silence. Not one made an effort to help him. Not one.

"Sorry, birdie, they're not going to help you."

_The human is going to eat me! Kill him! Please... don't leave me, brothers, sisters! Help me!_

"I'm not going to eat you... I'm just mad at you for killing my friend. You really have no pride or shame, do you?"

The bird stopped trying to get up into the trees. Instead, it got closer to the kneeling man, who was wrapping his flesh wounds with torn cloth from his coat. Gilbert felt pity stirring in his gut for the bird with the broken wing. But also a burning hatred. Those birds had tried to _devour_ him.

_Why mourn the loss of a canary? Those hated have no need for pride and shame._

"He was a special canary. He's been with me for hundreds of years. And those hated by all need to strive to be loved - that's that. I would know."

_Human, do you know why there are no angels here?_

"Angels?"

_Angels. Why are there no angels?_

Many of the birds in the trees tilted their heads with mild interest, drinking in the conversation that the man and the demon were sharing together.

"I don't know, birdie. Why are there no angels here?"

_We ate their earth-bound bodies... the doves. We ate the doves. All the white ones. They mocked us constantly. They pretended to love us, pretended to be our friends, but then they hurt us, and they left us. We killed them._

"Isn't that a little harsh?"

_That's what your brothers and sisters and lovers did to you, didn't they?_

"I don't know what you mean by that, birdie."

_You mocked them, didn't you? You claimed to be better. You pretended to love one of them - possibly all of them at once, their friends, even. Did you hurt them? Is that why you're here with us?_

There were the words that cut deeper than any sword could have. Choking on bile, Gilbert nodded his head to the bird. The albino man sat down in the dirt, patting his knee. The bird took the hint and hopped up, lightly clinging to the cloth of the others long pants.

"Yeah, that's why I'm here, birdie."

_I'm sorry we killed your friend. We were jealous._

"Jealous of what?"

_His voice. He could sing._

"Oh... really. I'm still pissed off at those damn others. You... you seem all right. I'll need a replacement bird. You... you seem bigger than the others. Why is that?"

_I've eaten more doves than the others have, I suppose. Our size depends on the hatred inside our hearts._

"Why did you try to kill me... or eat me, or whatever?"

_You reminded us of a dove. You have white outsides... feathers - or is that fur on top of your head? Your eyes are red. Though it sounds like you might be able to sing. When you talk your voice crows like ours._

"How... flattering? It's hair. What're those castles over there?"

_I don't know. They got here the same time you did. Only a few people arrive here in this world. They usually go live in the building that appeared here with them. All claiming to be 'dissolved' or 'replaced'._

Now Gilbert was ninety-nine percent sure that those were his castles, and his flag over there. Hope rose in his heart.

"Have you seen a man with long bl-" he stopped for a moment, wondering if the bird would know what color 'blond' was, "-Yellow hair? Did he speak the way I do?"

_No._

Apparently his Vati had not come over to this strange world. He hunched his shoulders forward, instantly wishing he hadn't, because the pain in his body was unbearable.

_Can I stand on your shoulder?_

"... Like a parrot?"

_What's a parrot?_

"Never mind. Whatever. I don't care anymore."

The heavy bird used the sleeve of Gilbert's shirt to pull himself up onto his shoulder. Gilbert slowly, painfully, rose to his feet and began to walk along the road.

_What is brother doing?_

_I don't know, sister._

_He's letting the human carry him!_

_Brother! Brother, he's going to eat you!_

_Peck out his eyes!_

"Are they always this barbaric?"

_Yes._

"Oh... shit..."

Gilbert fell down, landing on his knees. He vomited, body shaking with convulsion. He felt raging hate run through his veins along with thin blood - hatred for the birds in the trees who were laughing at him. He stared down at his vomit, which was bright red and chunky. Then he got to his feet and kept on walking - the sooner he got to the castle, the better.

_Shut up, wretches! _The birds were silenced.

_You are going to be fine. Do you hear me... I'm sorry, do you have a title?_

"I used to be Prussia. Now my only name is Gilbert."

_Interesting, Gilbert. My calling was once Eurynomos._

A loud boom of thunder echoed and rain began to pour down over the castle - which they were getting close to. It appeared the distance was easily covered.

"Like the demon of corpses?"

_Correct. But I no longer use that name. It is too degrading._

"Hmph. Hey, is there a way out of this place?"

_...No. This is the final destination._

"This sucks."

_You said it - not me._

They finally neared the castle, and more tears leaked out of Gilbert's eyes. There was his flag - the last time he had seen it the white had been red, and it had been torn. But here it was - looking like new, waving in a phantom wind.

_...It has a bird on it._

"Yeah, it does."

_You're missing something. You're not all here._

"I'm not missing anything."

The bird nibbled affectionately on a strand of his hair.

_You're missing a man._

"Am not."

_Are too. Was he a friend?_

"Yeah... we grew up together. I used to beat him into a pulp. He wouldn't leave me alone. I loved him. I loved him a lot."

_It's good that you miss someone._

"Why is that, birdie?"

_It means you have a heart._

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><p><strong>AN;**  
>Kudos to you if you read this painfully long piece of incoherent rambling. I needed to practice 'setting the scene' and 'describing the actions' because apparently I suck at those. My parents are currently driving to the hospital (nothing to worry about) and I figured now is the best time to upload this.<br>Kudos to you if you try to figure out all the symbolism in this. I'll give you my love if you manage to get all of it. ;)

Anyway... I kind of cried writing this...

Review?


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